Electronic device housing and assembly method

ABSTRACT

An electronic device includes at least one electronic component. The electronic device also includes a first housing of a single piece of metal. The first housing defines a length, a width, and a height that is less than both the length and the width. The housing has at least five side walls defining an internal cavity and an open end to the cavity that spans the width and height of the first housing. The electronic component is contained within the cavity. A cover is removably affixed over the open end of the housing so as to contribute to a retaining force applied on the electronic component therein. The first housing can be a base housing for a portable computer, and the cover can be a first portion of a hinge assembly. The electronic device can further include a display assembly operatively connected to the base housing by the hinge assembly.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application claims the benefit of the filing date of U.S.Provisional Application No. 61/672,041 filed Jul. 16, 2012, thedisclosure of which is incorporated by reference herein.

BACKGROUND

Housings for portable notebook or clamshell-style computers can be madefrom a number of plastic panels or sections that are assembled onto ametal frame. The metal frame is structured to retain and attach togetherthe computer's internal components. Such internal components can includea printed circuit board that carries the computer's central processorand any additional processors such as for graphics or the like as wellas the computer's random-access memory (RAM). Additional componentsinclude batteries, input devices such as a keyboard and trackpad or thelike, storage memory (such as a hard drive, solid-state drive, or thelike, communications devices (such as for WiFi connection andnetworking), removable memory devices (such as CD- or DVD-R/W drives),and structures for external peripheral connections.

In a frame-based housing structure, all such components can be affixedto the frame, which itself can be made up of several different parts.The components of the housing are in turn attached to the frame toprovide a somewhat uniform external appearance and to provide protectionfor the internal components. In a notebook (or clamshell) configuration,the arrangement just described can make up a base unit that isconfigured to rest on a surface. Another assembly in the form of a lid,or display, housing can be attached to the base housing by a hinge. Thelid housing can include a video display, which can be in the form of aLCD panel with various forms of backlighting associated therewith.Similar to the base housing, the display (and any other components alsoincluded within the lid housing) can be affixed to another frame towhich other housing sections or panels are affixed to enclose the lidassembly. The hinge can be attached to both the frame of the lid and theframe of the base with portions thereof extending through openingsbetween or within the housing sections or panels.

The hinged attachment between the base and lid housings can allow thecomputer to be moved between open and closed configurations. The closedconfiguration being such that the lid is positioned against the basewith the display and input devices positioned internally of the housingunits for protection thereof during transportation. In the openconfiguration, the display is viewable and the input devices areaccessible to the user. The lid can be rotated through a range ofpositions to provide for comfortable viewing of the display.

Such frame-based housing configurations can be complicated to assembleand to disassemble for repair or maintenance reasons. Further, they canbe bulky due to the number of components and the complex assemblypatterns required. Further, the number of joints or connections betweencomponents can provide a number of potential failure areas that canreduce the overall strength and protection provided by such housings.

While many notebook computers still use such a housing structure, otherstructures have been developed that seek to combine the utility of theframe into a part of the housing units and to reduce the overall numberof exterior pieces that make up the housing. Such structures can be madefrom metal and can, for example, include in one unit the top wall of abase housing (that surrounds the keyboard) along with the front and sidewalls thereof. This unit can also have internal reinforcement and caninclude attachment structures (such as threaded holes) for attachment ofthe internal components). A separate unit can define the bottom wall ofthe base and can attach to the upper housing unit. Such structures canprovide for easier assembly of components but can still include majorfailure locations along the large attachment areas between housingcomponents.

BRIEF SUMMARY

An aspect of the present disclosure relates to an electronic device. Theelectronic device includes at least one electronic component. Theelectronic device also includes a first housing of a single piece ofmaterial. The first housing defines a length, a width, and a height thatis less than both the length and the width. Further, the housing has atleast five side walls defining an internal cavity and an open end to thecavity that spans the width and height of the housing. The electroniccomponent is contained within the cavity. A cover is removably affixedover the open end of the first housing so as to contribute to aretaining force applied on the electronic component therein.

In an example, the single piece of material can be of metal. The firsthousing can be a base housing for a portable computer, and the cover canbe a first portion of a hinge assembly. In such an example, the devicecan further include a lid assembly operatively connected to the basehousing by the hinge assembly. The lid assembly can include a lidhousing substantially of a single piece of metal and having at leastfive side walls defining an internal cavity and an open end thereto. Thelid assembly can further include a display unit received within thecavity of the lid housing, and the hinge assembly can include a secondportion removably affixed over the open end of the lid housing.

At least one of the side walls of the first housing can include anopening to expose a portion of the electronic component. In such anexample, the electronic component can be a trackpad assembly including atouch-sensitive surface, and the touch-sensitive surface can be exposedwithin the opening. Additionally or alternatively, the electroniccomponent can be a keyboard assembly including a plurality of keys, andat least the keys of the keyboard assembly can be exposed within theopening. In a further example, the electronic component can include atleast one external connection element, and the at least one externalconnection element can be exposed within the opening.

The electronic component can be positioned within a space definedbetween two spaced apart and parallel ones of the side walls. In such anexample the device can further include a shim member wedged between theelectronic component and a first one of the two side walls to force atleast a portion of the electronic component into contact with a secondone of the two side walls. The shim member can be a portion of a secondelectronic component received within the internal cavity of the housing.Additionally or alternatively, at least one of the side walls caninclude a hole therethrough, and the electronic component can include athreaded hole therein aligned with the hole in the side wall. In such anexample, the device can further include a screw passing through the holein the housing and engaging with the threaded hole of the electroniccomponent. The device can further include a support member contacting atleast two of the side walls of the housing within the internal cavity.The support member can be assembled with the electronic component tosecure the component within the housing.

The electronic component can be one of a plurality of electroniccomponents within the housing. At least some of such electroniccomponents can contact at least one of the side walls, respectively andthe at least some of the electronic components can contact each otheralong respective portions thereof to help retain the at least some ofthe electronic components in predetermined positions within the housing.The cover can exert a retention force on the electronic component tohelp retain the electronic component in a predetermined position withinthe housing.

Another aspect of the present disclosure relates to an electronichousing assembly. The assembly includes a first housing unit of a singlepiece of metal. The first housing unit defining a length, a width, and aheight that is less than both the length and the width, the housing unithaving at least five side walls defining an internal cavity and an openend to the cavity that spans the width and height of the housing unit.The assembly further includes a cover removably affixed over the openend of the first housing unit. The first housing unit is made by aprocess including deep drawing a single, substantially flat sheet of ametal material in a direction away from the open end formed thereby.

The assembly can include at least one electronic component receivedwithin the first housing unit, and the process of making the firsthousing unit can further include deep drawing the sheet of metalmaterial into a form configured to receive the at least one electroniccomponent therein. The electronic component can include a threaded holetherein, and the process of making the first housing unit can furtherinclude forming a hole through at least one of the side walls configuredto align with the threaded hole in the electronic component. The processof making the first housing unit can further include forming an openingin at least one of the side walls to expose at least a portion of theelectronic component. The opening can be formed by laser cutting, bymilling, or by other processes.

The deep drawing process can be carried out using a mold that can impartan outside form of the housing on the sheet of metal material. Theoutside form can include respective outside surfaces of the side wallsof the first housing unit. The process can further be carried out usinga tool that can impart an inside form of the first housing unit on thesheet of metal material. The inside form can include respective insidesurfaces of the side walls that define the internal cavity. The outsideform of the first housing unit imparted by the mold can be an initialoutside form that can include initial outside surfaces of the sidewalls. In such an example the process can further include removingmaterial from the first housing unit, including the initial outsidesurfaces of the side walls. Removing material from the first housingunit can be carried out by milling, grinding, polishing, or otherprocesses. Removing material from the first housing unit can reduce aradius on a corner between adjacent side walls of the initial outsideform.

Another aspect of the present disclosure relates to a method forassembling an electronic device. The method includes inserting anelectronic component into a first housing through an open end thereof.The first housing is of a single piece of metal, and defines a length, awidth, and a height that is less than both the length and the width. Thefirst housing has at least five side walls around an internal cavity andan open end to the cavity that spans the width and height of the firsthousing. The method also includes removably affixing a cover over theopen end of the first housing so as to contribute to a retaining forceapplied on the electronic component therein.

The cover can be a first portion of a hinge assembly and the firsthousing can be a base housing for a base assembly of a portablecomputer. In such an example, the method can further include attaching alid assembly with a second portion of the hinge assembly. The hingeassembly can be configured for operatively connecting the displayassembly to the base housing. The lid assembly can include a lidhousing, and the method can further include inserting a display unitinto the lid housing through an open end thereof. Further, the lidhousing can be of a single piece of metal, and can define a length, awidth, and a height that is less than both the length and the width. Thelid housing can have at least five side walls around an internal cavityand an open end to the cavity that spans the width and height of the lidhousing, and assembling the lid assembly with the second portion of thehinge assembly causes the second portion of the hinge assembly tocontribute to a retaining force applied on the display unit therein.

The method can further include forming an opening in at least one of theside walls of the first housing to expose a portion of the electroniccomponent. In an example where the first housing is a base housing for anotebook computer, the electronic component can be trackpad assemblyhaving a touch-sensitive surface. Further, the method can include movingthe trackpad into a position within the base housing such that thetouch-sensitive surface is exposed in the opening formed in the housingand is substantially flush with an outside surface of the side wall inwhich the opening is formed.

The method can further include inserting a shim member between one ofthe side walls and the electronic component. The shim member can be apart of second electronic component, and inserting the shim member caninclude inserting the second electronic component through the open endof the first housing into the cavity.

The method can further include inserting a plurality of electroniccomponents into the first housing through the open end thereof such thatthe electronic components are in mutually contacting relationships amongeach other within the first housing. At least one electronic componentcan contact the cover and another electronic component can contacts aside wall opposite the cover. In such an example, the mutuallycontacting relationships among the electronic components can be suchthat a combination of electronic components spans a length between thecover and the opposite side wall.

The method can further include forming the first housing from a single,flat metal sheet by deep drawing the sheet in a direction away from theopen end formed thereby. The deep drawing process can be carried outusing a mold that imparts an outside form of the first housing on thesheet of metal material. The outside form can include respective outsidesurfaces of the side walls of the first housing. The deep drawingprocess can further be carried out using a tool that imparts an insideform of the first housing on the sheet of metal material. The insideform can include respective inside surfaces of the side walls adjacentthe internal cavity.

Another aspect of the present disclosure relates to a method for makingan electronic device housing. The method can include deep drawing asingle, substantially flat sheet of a metal material in a firstdirection to form a first housing unit of a single piece of metal. Thefirst housing unit can define a length, a width, and a height that isless than both the length and the width. The first housing unit can haveat least five side walls defining an internal cavity and an open end tothe cavity that spans the width and height of the housing unit such thatthe length of the housing extends in the first direction. The method canfurther include removably affixing a cover over the open end of thefirst housing unit.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 shows a portable computer according to an embodiment of thepresent disclosure;

FIG. 2 shows a base housing unit that can be used as a portion of theportable computer of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 shows a lid housing unit that can be used as a portion of theportable computer of FIG. 1;

FIG. 4 shows an exploded view of the portable computer of FIG. 1 andvarious components that can be included therein;

FIG. 5 shows a partial cutaway view of the portable computer of FIG. 1;

FIG. 6 shows a partial cross-sectional view of the portable computer ofFIG. 1;

FIG. 7 shows portions of an apparatus that can be used to make portionsof a housing for the portable computer of FIG. 1 in a method accordingto another embodiment of the present disclosure;

FIG. 8 shows a step in the method including the apparatus portions ofFIG. 7 and a workpiece;

FIG. 9 shows another step in the method wherein the apparatus is used toat least partially shape the workpiece;

FIG. 10 shows the workpiece of FIG. 9 during a subsequent method stepfor making a base housing;

FIG. 11 shows the workpiece of FIG. 10 during another subsequent methodstep for making a base housing;

FIG. 12 shows a step of the method including assembling variouselectronic components into the base housing;

FIG. 13 shows a detail view of a subsequent assembly step;

FIG. 14 shows a detail view of another subsequent assembly step;

FIG. 15 shows a base housing with various electronic componentsassembled therein;

FIG. 16 shows the assembly of FIG. 15 with a hinge unit furtherassembled therewith;

FIG. 17 shows a display assembly aligned with the assembly of FIG. 16for assembly therewith;

FIGS. 18A and 18B show flowcharts illustrating steps in a method ofmaking computer housing components according to an aspect of the presentdisclosure; and

FIG. 19 shows a flowchart illustrating steps in a method of assemblinghousing components with other components to make a computer according toan aspect of the present disclosure.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

Turning to the drawings, FIG. 1 shows a portable computer 10 in the formof a “notebook” or “clamshell” computer with a base 12 configured torest on a surface and to support a lid 14 including a screen 16. Lid 14is connected to base 12 by a hinge 18 that allows the lid 14 to closeagainst the base 12 and to be opened by rotation away therefrom into auser-selectable viewing position during use of the computer 10.

Base 12 includes a keyboard 72 and a trackpad 70 for user input tocomputer 10. The trackpad 70 can also be referred to as a touchpad andcan include any type of touch-sensitive input, operating by capacitive,magnetic, resistive, surface-acoustic wave or other forms oftouch-sensitivity. Both the keyboard 72 and trackpad 70 are mounted tobase so that they are exposed at (or otherwise available for userinteraction on) an outside surface of the upper wall 26 of the base 12.It is noted that the terms “upper”, “lower”, and other terms related torelative positions of elements are done with respect to the frame ofreference depicted in FIG. 1. Such terms are used for convenience and donot limit the actual positions of the elements should the device berepositioned.

Base 12 includes a housing 24, shown in FIG. 2, that consists of aunitary material structure that includes the upper wall 26, a lower wall28 that is spaced apart from and opposes upper wall 26, a front wall 30,and two side walls 32 and 34, that extend generally vertically betweenthe upper wall 26 and lower wall 28. In such a unitary structure, asingle piece of material includes the aforementioned walls, 26, 28, 30,32, and 34 with any one of these walls being solidly, or unitarily,connected with the adjacent walls by continuous, uninterrupted, sectionsof the same material. For example, the housing 24 can be made from asingle piece of plastic or metal wherein the walls are integrally formedwith the adjacent walls without any joining in the form of fastening,gluing, welding, or metallic joining such as soldering, braising or thelike. Plastic materials can include polycarbonate (PC), ABS, PCABS, orthe like. Metal materials can include aluminum, aluminum alloy,magnesium alloys, stainless steel, or the like. Such a housing with thedescribed solid connections between walls can be made by injectionmolding metal or plastic, by die-casting metal or by a deep drawingprocess applied to a metal sheet, as described below.

As further shown in FIG. 2, housing 24 defines an open end 36 oppositefront wall 30 and bounded by edges of the upper 26, lower 28, and sidewalls 32 and 34. Open end 36 provides access to an interior 38 of basehousing 24 that is configured to enclose various internal components ofthe computer 10. Base housing 24 also includes a keyboard opening 40 anda trackpad opening 42 that generally follow the facial profiles of therespective keyboard 72 and trackpad 70 such that they can be assembledtherein and accessed by a user. A number of peripheral connectionopenings 43 to the interior 38 can also be included in housing 24, forexample through either of the side walls 32 or 34, and can allow foraccess to peripheral connections for computer 10 such as for a poweradapter plug, a USB device, one or more memory cards, audio devices, orthe like.

Housing 24, when configured as a single piece of material that includesupper wall lower wall 28, front wall 30, and side walls 32 and 34, canbe stronger than other notebook computer housing structures. Inparticular, the torsional strength (or resistance to axial twisting, canbe increased relative to multi-part housing structures. This can makethe housing 24, and accordingly the computer 10 overall, more resistantto, for example, being dropped on a side edge or a corner. Additionally,such a housing configuration can make the assembly process of thecomputer 10 easier and can further enhance the visual appearance of thecomputer 10 by eliminating parting lines, seams, or fasteners associatedwith assembling multiple components into a single housing.

Lid 14 can also include a housing 44 configured with multiple, solidlyjoined, walls of a single piece of material. In the example shown inFIG. 3, lid housing 44 is a solid, or unitary, piece of material thatdefines an upper wall 46 that is generally positioned away from theupper wall of the base housing 24 when lid 14 is in the closed position.Lid housing 44 also includes a bezel wall 48 that is positioned oppositefrom upper wall 46 and is spaced apart therefrom. Bezel wall 48 can beconfigured to surround at least part of the display screen 16 associatedwith lid 14. As further shown in FIG. 5, bezel wall 48 can help retain adisplay assembly 60 that is configured to be positioned within lidhousing 44. As such, bezel wall 48 can oppose upper wall 46, which cancontact display assembly 60 on a side thereof opposite bezel wall 48.

Lid housing 44 also defines an open end 56 that is positioned oppositefront wall 50. Open end 56 is bounded by edges of the upper wall 46, theside walls 52 and 54, and at least portions of bezel wall 48. In theexample shown in FIG. 3, bezel wall is solidly joined with and extendsinwardly from both side walls 52,54 and front wall 50. Lid housing 44also defines a display opening 58 through which at least the screenportion 16 of the display assembly 60 is viewable by a user. Thedistance by which bezel wall 48 extends inward can vary depending on theconfiguration of, for example, display assembly 58 and/or the materialsfrom which lid housing 44 is constructed.

In the example shown in FIG. 3, bezel wall 48 bounds open end 56 onlyalong the distance by which the respective portions thereof extendinward from side walls 52 and 54, leaving a portion of open end 56unbounded. Such an arrangement is also such that display opening 58 onlybounds screen 16 on three sides thereof and is open to a portion of openend 56. In other embodiments, bezel wall 48 can extend from one sidewall 52 to the other side wall 54 such that a portion of bezel wall 48separates display opening 58 (which can be bounded on four sides) fromopen end 56.

As shown in FIGS. 1, 4, and 6, a hinge assembly 18 can connect base 12with lid 14. Hinge assembly 18 can include a base portion 62 (FIG. 6)that is configured to attach with base housing 24 and to cover open end36 thereof. Similarly, a lid portion 64 of hinge assembly 18 can attachwith lid housing 44 to cover open end 36 thereof. A joint 66 or aplurality of joints 66 can connect base portion 62 to lid portion 64 andcan be configured to allow base portion 62 to articulate with lidportion 64 to provide the desired range of rotation between base 12 andlid 14. The example of joint 66 shown in the figures is in the form of abarrel, or piano, style hinge, but other forms of notebook computerhinges can be implemented in a similar structure.

As shown in FIGS. 4-6, base housing 24 and lid housing 44 can beconfigured to work with base portion 62 and lid portion 64,respectively, of hinge assembly 18 to retain appropriately-configuredinternal components therein. Specifically, base housing 42 can beconfigured to retain one or more batteries 68, a trackpad assembly 70, akeyboard assembly 72, and a board assembly 74. These components can beconfigured to contact one another, various portions of the interior 38of base housing 24, and portions of a surface of hinge base portion 62that cover open end 36 such that the components are retained within basehousing 24 and are secured in their respective positions.

As shown in the exploded view of FIG. 4, the components as well asinterior 38 of base housing 24 can be configured such that thecomponents can be slid into base housing 24 through open end 36 thereof.The components can further be configured such that they engage with eachother and with base housing 24 such that the positions of the componentsare maintained once assembled in a particular manner. In the exampleshown in FIG. 4 and in the cutaway view of FIG. 5, the one or morebatteries 68 can be configured to contact the interior of lower wall 28and the front wall 30 along portions thereof. For instance, batteries68A and 68C can be configured to contact respective portions of theadjacent ones of side walls 32 and 34 with battery 68B positionedbetween and in mutual contact with batteries 68A and 68C. The batteries68 can be configured to be spaced apart from the interior of upper wall28. This configuration can allow for trackpad assembly 70 to bepositioned between at least portions of the batteries 68 and upper wall28.

Trackpad assembly 70 can include various sub-components commonlyassociated with trackpads or other touch-sensitive input devices. Thiscan include a touch sensitive substrate 76 that defines the actualsurface with which the user interacts. The trackpad assembly 70 can alsoinclude a support structure 78 that can retain substrate 76 and caninclude associated circuitry or other functionality, such as structuresto provide a clickable trackpad surface or the like. Support structure78 can be configured to extend outwardly around substrate 76 such thatsubstrate 76 can fit within opening 42 with support structure contactingthe portion of upper wall 26 that surrounds opening 42. Opposite theupper wall 26, support structure 78 can contact one or more of thebatteries 68. In such a configuration, batteries 68 and supportstructure 78 can be configured such that, when stacked atop one another,they extend completely between lower wall 28 and upper wall 26. Thiscan, among other things, retain the position of trackpad assembly 70through a combination of the fit of substrate 76 within opening 42 andthe friction generated between the batteries 68, the trackpad assembly70 and the upper and lower walls 26 and 28.

Similar to trackpad assembly 70, keyboard assembly 72 can be structuredto engage with keyboard opening 40. As illustrated in FIGS. 5 and 6,keyboard assembly 72 can include a support structure 73 with a raisedportion 80 surrounded by an outwardly extending flange portion 82.Keyboard support structure 73 can be configured such that raised portion80 fits within keyboard opening 40 and such that flange 82 can contactthe interior surface of upper wall 26 when raised portion 80 is withinopening 40. Support structure 73 can also support the various keyboardkeys 84 and any related circuitry such that keyboard assembly 72 can bea self-contained unit.

Further, board assembly 74 can be configured to fit between keyboardsupport structure 73 and the interior surface of lower wall 28. As shownin FIGS. 5 and 6, keyboard assembly and board assembly 74 can beconfigured such that board assembly 74 can contact the interior surfaceof lower wall 28 with keyboard support structure 73 being retained in aposition such that raised portion 80 is within opening 40 and flange 82is held in contact with upper wall 26 by board assembly 74.

As shown in FIG. 4, board assembly 74 can include a printed circuitboard 86, or a plurality of printed circuit boards attached together,supported on a common structure, or the like. The board 86, shown inFIG. 4, can be in the form of a motherboard or the like that can provideinterconnections between various semiconductor chips or othermicroelectronic elements that can be carried thereon as well as withexternal components, such as power supplies, memory, etc. In thesimplified example shown in the figures, board 86 is shown including amicroprocessor 88 carried thereon. The microprocessor 88 can implementvarious functionality of the computer 10, including receiving userinput, providing output either directly or through communication with agraphics processor or the like, and allocating memory usage andretrieving stored data from memory. Board 86 is also shown with a fan 94thereon to provide cooling for the components within base 12. The board86 can also include one or more memory structures in the form of RAM orother similar components. The board 86 can also include connections forcommunication with the batteries 68, the trackpad assembly 70, thekeyboard 72 and the display assembly 60.

Board assembly 74 can also include end units 90 that can be positionedon opposite sides of board 86 that are disposed toward the side walls32, and 34 of the base housing 24. Additionally or alternatively, endunits can be positioned along the sides of board 86 that extend betweenthose adjacent the side walls. In another example, board 86 can besupported by or contained within a single housing unit thatsubstantially covers a portion of the board 86 itself. As shown, endunits 90 are configured to contact the lower wall 28 of base housing 24on an interior surface thereof. End units 90 are also configured torespectively contact the interior surfaces of the side walls 32 and 34with board 86 spacing apart end units 90 to maintain such contact. Inthis arrangement, board 86 can be supported in a position such that itdoes not directly contact the interior of base housing 24 and such thatthe delicate components carried thereon are isolated from coming intocontact with other internal features of the base 12, which could causedamage thereto.

End units 90 can also include various input or output port structures92. Such ports 92 can include connections for an external power supply,or connections specially configured as, e.g., USB, Fire-Wire, HDMI, orother similar connections. Ports 92 can also include SD card readerslots, or audio input or output connections. The conductive features ofthe ports can connect with the circuitry of the board 86 forcommunication therewith. Further the ports 92 can align with portopenings 43 in the base housing 24 such that components can connect withports 92 through housing 24.

End units 90 can further be configured to provide the spacing necessaryto maintain the desired position for keyboard assembly 73 discussedabove. Specifically, when end units are positioned within base housing24 such that they contact the interior of lower wall 28, they cansupport keyboard assembly 72 on a side opposite lower wall 28 such thatflange 82 contacts the interior of upper wall 26 with raised portionpositioned within keyboard opening 40. Such a configuration, can allowfor board assembly 74 to be easily removed for repairs, upgrading (suchas replacing or adding memory), or replacement with asimilarly-configured board assembly 74 to be swapped for the existingboard assembly. This can be done for purposes of repair, such asreplacing a damaged board assembly 74 or upgrading, such as by replacinga board assembly 74 for a new board assembly 74 with, for example, afaster processor or the like. This configuration can also streamlinecustom manufacture of notebook computers, allowing for a number ofpre-assembled board assemblies 74 with different processors, memoryconfigurations, etc. to be provided and selected from according tocustomer-specifications during assembly of computer 10. In addition, theabove-described configuration of the other internal components cansimilarly provide for easier repair/replacement thereof.

As discussed above, base portion 62 of hinge assembly 18 can beconfigured to close open end 36 of base housing 24 such that theinternal components of base 12 are retained therein. As shown in FIG. 6,base portion 62 can be configured to contribute to the retention of theinternal components of base 12 in their respective positions. In theexample shown, wherein batteries 68 contact the interior of front wall30 and board assembly 74 contacts batteries 68 opposite front wall 30,an interior surface 96 of hinge base portion 62 can contact boardassembly 74 opposite battery 68. In this manner, these interiorcomponents of base 12 are in continuous contact between front wall 30and surface 96 of hinge base portion 62, which maintains the componentsin their positions therebetween. Other configurations for such internalcomponents are possible in which continuous contact between componentsis maintained between front wall 30 and hinge base portion 62 and couldbe determined based on the particular components used and the generalshapes thereof.

Hinge base portion 62 can affix to base housing 24 by various fastenersthat engage between base housing 24 and hinge base portion 62. In theexample of FIG. 6, one or more screws 98 passes through lower wall 28and engages with hinge base portion 62. A similar screw can pass throughupper wall 26 or one or both side walls 32 and 34. Alternatively,snap-fit structures can be used to affix hinge base portion 62 with basehousing 24. As further alternatives, press-fit structures or adhesivescan be used.

Embodiments of hinge assembly 18 can include wire routing therethroughsuch that a connection can be made, for example, between board assembly74 and display assembly 60 to supply power and a video signal to displayassembly 60. Additionally, wire segments can be included with hingeassembly 18 that extend from base portion 62 and lid portion 64 thereoffor connection with wire segments connected with board assembly 74 anddisplay assembly 60, respectively. Similar wiring can be present amongcomponents within base housing 24 to connect, for example board assembly74 with trackpad assembly 70 and/or keyboard assembly 72. Additionallyor alternatively, conductive connections can be positioned on adjacentcomponents so that, when assembled into base housing 24, electricalconnection is achieved between components, for example battery 68 andboard assembly 74. Hinge base portion 62 can also include an opening oropenings that align with an output of fan 94 to allow air to pass therethrough.

Compliant inserts 100 can be positioned between various internalcomponents of base 12. These inserts 100 can be compressible and can bemade of various foams, rubbers, elastomers or the like. The presence ofinserts 100 between components or between a component and one of thewalls of housing 24 can take up extra space between components orbetween a component and a wall that can arise due to manufacturingtolerances. This can allow for a more precise fit of components withinhousing 24 and can minimize the movement of components within housing 24without requiring particularly tight tolerances of the components or ofhousing 24. These inserts 100 can be affixed to or assembled with thevarious components in strategic positions. For example, as shown in FIG.6, an insert 100 can be affixed to battery 68 at a location such thatinsert 100 will be positioned between front wall 30 and battery 68. Asalso shown, another insert 100 can be attached to keyboard assembly 72in a position to contact surface 96 of hinge base portion 62. Additionalinserts 100 can be affixed to either trackpad assembly 70 or boardassembly 72 to contact the other of these components. Still furtherinserts 100 can be positioned between battery 68 and trackpad 70,between board assembly 74 and keyboard assembly 72, or between any ofthe components and upper wall 26, lower wall 28, or side walls 32 and34.

As shown in FIG. 6, one or more wedge elements 102 can also be assembledwithin base housing 24 adjacent one or more of the above-describedinternal components. The use of such wedge elements 102 can help toretain the desired positions of the internal components within basehousing 24. In the example shown in FIG. 6, wedge element 102 ispositioned beneath a battery 68 such that on one side it contactsbattery 86 and, on the other, it contacts the interior surface of lowerwall 28. As also shown, the portion of battery 68 that wedge element 102contacts can include an inclined surface 104 that is configured tomutually contact the wedge element 102 along a portion of the areathereof. This can allow for more even contact of battery 68 with, forexample, trackpad assembly 70 on the side opposite wedge element 102. Byusing wedge elements 102 as shown, battery 68 can be pushed by wedgeelement 102 toward upper surface 26 of base housing 24, creatingpressure of trackpad assembly 70 against the interior of upper wall,between trackpad assembly 70 and battery 68, and the like. This increaseof pressure creates friction between the components and between thecomponents and the upper 26 and lower walls 28, which can help maintainthe positions of the components.

Additional wedge elements 102 can be positioned between, for exampleboard assembly 74 and lower wall 28, between battery 68 and trackpadassembly 70, between board assembly 74 and keyboard assembly 72, orbetween any other adjacent components. Accordingly, board assembly 74,trackpad assembly 70, keyboard assembly 72, and any other components canalso include inclined surfaces similar to surface 104 of battery 68.Further, wedge elements 102 can be attached to or integrally formedwith, for example, board assembly 74 or hinge base portion 62 in theappropriate location to engage with, respectively battery 68 and boardassembly 74. In another example, board assembly 74 itself can have asurface thereof that acts like a wedge and is configured to contact anappropriately configured inclined surface on keyboard assembly 72.

As shown in FIG. 4, lid housing 44, the structure of which is describedabove with respect to FIG. 3, is configured to receive a displayassembly 60 therein. Display assembly 60 can include a computer screen16 and various electronic components associated therewith. In anexample, display assembly 60 can include a screen 16 in the form of anLCD screen and an associated light source, such as fluorescent lights,LED lights, or an OLED panel. Display assembly 60 can also includevarious components that are not necessarily associated with the displayitself but can be strategically positioned within lid housing 44. Suchcomponents can include WiFi or cellular data (such as 3G, 4G, or LTE)antennae. Various electronic shielding structures can also be includedin display assembly 60.

Display assembly 60 can be configured to be received within lid housing44 such that a viewable area of screen 16 is aligned within displayopening 58. Further, display assembly 60 can include one or morestrategically positioned compliant inserts 100 similar to thosediscussed above with respect to base housing 24, above. As with thecomponents of base 12, such inserts can serve to compensate formechanical tolerance build up between display assembly 60 and lidhousing 44 and can serve to provide a pressure-fit therebetween. Stillfurther, wedge elements 102 similar to those described above withrespect to FIG. 6 can also be positioned between display assembly 60 andlid housing 44.

As also shown, hinge assembly 18 includes a lid portion 64 (FIG. 6) thatis attached to base portion 62 by joint 66, as described above. Hingelid portion 64 is configured to assemble with lid housing 44 such thathinge lid portion 64 encloses the open end 56 of lid housing 44. Indoing so, hinge lid portion 64 can secure display assembly 60 within lidhousing 44 by contacting a portion of display assembly 60 adjacent openend 56. Additional foam inserts, such as inserts 100 shown in FIG. 6 cancompensate for mechanical tolerances between hinge lid portion 64 anddisplay assembly 60 and/or between display assembly 60 and the interiorof front wall 50 of lid housing 44. Further, hinge lid portion 64 caninclude a raised portion 65 (FIG. 12) that can span any open distancebetween portions of bezel wall 48 and that are respectively adjacent theside walls 52 and 54. Such a portion 55 can be substantially flush withbezel wall 48 in the assembled computer 10 and can bound a bottom edgeof the screen 16.

As discussed above, base and lid housings 24 and 44 having of a singlepiece of material and being solidly joined between walls of the typedescribed herein can be made from various materials including variousmetals or plastics using various fabrication methods. FIGS. 7-11 showvarious stages in one method for making the base housing 24 and the lidhousing 44 for computer 10. Additionally, FIGS. 12-17 show variousstages in making base assembly 12 and lid assembly 14 as fabricated byany means, including deep drawing as well as other processes, andassembling computer 10 from these assemblies. These steps are furtherdepicted in the flowcharts shown in FIGS. 18A, 18B, and 19.

In the deep drawing example of FIGS. 7-11, 18A and 18B, base housing 24and lid housing 44 can be made using a tool 106 and a mold 108 as shownin FIG. 7. Tool 106 can be generally in the shape desired for theinterior 38 of base housing 24 and mold 108 can include a cavity 110that is generally in the negative of a shape desired for the outersurfaces of base housing 24. The tool 106 and mold 108 can be configuredto be used with machinery (not shown) that is specifically adapted tocarry out a deep drawing process using tool 106 and mold 108. The tool106 and mold 108 can also be configured to form housings 24 of variousdesigns, sizes, shapes or other configurations, in addition to thevariation of housing 24 shown in the Figures.

As shown in FIG. 8, a workpiece 24′ in the form of a generally flatmetal sheet can be positioned between the tool 106 and the mold 108 whenthe tool 106 and the mold 108 are in a pre-forming position with tool106 withdrawn from cavity 110 (step 202 in FIG. 18A). The workpiece 24′can be of any of the above-described materials suitable for theformation of base housing 24 and can have a thickness that isapproximately equal to the desired thickness for the various walls ofbase housing 24. In some embodiments, the initial thickness of workpiece24′ can be thicker than the desired final wall thickness for basehousing 24 to compensate for a reduction in material thickness due tostretching of the material during the drawing process or to compensatefor material removal in optional finishing processes, described below.In an example, the above-described process can be carried out to achievea final material thickness of about 0.6 mm (+/−5%) for a base housing 24or a lid housing 44 made from stainless steel or about 0.8 mm (+/−5%)for a base housing 24 or lid housing 44 made from aluminum. In otherexamples wherein base housing 24 or lid housing 44 is made from variousplastics, the fabrication processes associated therewith can beconfigured to achieve a final material thickness of between about 1.5 mmand 2 mm (+/−5%).

In the deep-drawing process, the tool 106 is driven into cavity 110 withworkpiece 24′ positioned between tool 102 and mold 108 (step 204 in FIG.18A), which can be done by application of constant pressure thereto orby repeated impacting of tool 106 into cavity 110. This driving actioncauses plastic deformation of workpiece 24′ as it is pushed into theshape of the area defined between tool 106 and cavity 110, as shown inFIG. 9. As shown, the driving direction of tool 106 is generally carriedout in a direction between what will be the open end 36 and the frontwall 30 of the housing 24. The driving process and the accompanyingdeformation process can be continued until the workpiece 24′ reaches theend of the cavity 110, which generally gives the form of font wall 30.At such a point, the tool 106 can then be withdrawn from the cavity 110and the deformed workpiece 24′ removed from either the cavity 110 or thetool 106. In an embodiment, workpiece 24′ can be heated prior to thedeformation process described above. Such heating can be carried to makethe workpiece 24′ more pliable (but while still remaining solid) and,therefore, more amenable to the deep drawing process.

As shown in FIG. 10, the deformed workpiece 24′ can include excessmaterial 112 around what will be open end 36 upon removal from the mold108 (step 206 in FIG. 18A). As shown in FIG. 11, this excess material112 can be removed by cutting, which can be done by a saw, by a laser orthe like, or by a machining process (step 208 in FIG. 18A). After suchremoval, workpiece 24′ can have the general shape desired for basehousing 24, including upper wall 26, lower wall 28, front wall 30, andside walls 32 and 34 as well as open end 36, as shown in FIG. 11.

Subsequently, trackpad opening 42, keyboard opening 40 and port openings43 can be formed in workpiece 24′ (step 212 in FIG. 18A), resulting inthe structure of housing 24 shown in FIG. 2. This can be done by lasercutting, by machining, or by a combination of drilling and physicalcutting using a saw or the like. A similar process using anappropriately-configured tool and mold combination can also be used tomake lid housing 44, which can also include cutting anappropriately-shaped display opening 60 (steps 203-213 in FIG. 18B). Inthe above-mentioned injection-molding and die-casting process, thekeyboard, trackpad, and display openings 40, 42, and 60 can be formed inconnection with such molding by including these features in any moldsused. Alternatively, these openings 40, 42, and 60 can be formed insubsequent steps, as described in connection with the deep drawingprocess.

Additional finishing processes can be applied to base housing 24 at anypoint after formation thereof. Such processes include machining theexterior thereof to remove excess wall thickness or to give a particularshape such as by reducing corner radii or the like (steps 210 in FIGS.18A and 211 in FIG. 18B). Additionally, the exterior of base housing 24can be anodized, painted, sealed or otherwise treated.

After formation of base housing 24 and lid housing 44, the variousinternal components of computer 10, which can be done according to thedeep drawing process, as described above, or the previously mentionedinjection molding or die-casting methods, can be assembled into therespective housings (steps 214-216 in FIG. 19). As shown in FIG. 12, thevarious components associated with base housing 24 can be insertedthereinto through open end 36. The components can be inserted in stagesand positioned as desired before subsequent components are placed intohousing 24. In an example, trackpad assembly 70 can be placed intohousing 24 first and positioned within opening 42, after which batteries68 can be positioned adjacent front wall 30 and beneath trackpadassembly 70 (step 214 in FIG. 19). Electrical connections betweencomponents can be made during assembly, such as by attachment ofmutually-engaging plugs or outlets or the like.

Subsequently, keyboard assembly 72 can be inserted within housing 24through open end 36, as shown in FIG. 12 (step 216 in FIG. 19). Keyboardassembly 72 can then be positioned such that raised portion 80 isaligned with keyboard opening 40, as shown in FIG. 13. Keyboard assembly72 can then be moved such that flange 82 contacts the interior of upperwall 26 and raised portion 80 is positioned within opening 40, as shownin FIG. 14. As explained above, the fit of raised portion 80 withinopening 40 can keep keyboard assembly 72 appropriately positioned withwithin opening while flange 82 is maintained in contact with theinterior of upper wall 26. By inserting board assembly 74 into the spacebetween keyboard support 73 and the interior of lower wall 28, asdiscussed above, keyboard assembly 72 can be maintained in such aposition.

Hinge assembly 18 can then be assembled with base assembly 12, as shownin FIG. 16, by attaching hinge base portion 26 to the open end 36 ofbase housing 24 (step 218 in FIG. 19). As discussed above, hinge baseportion 26 can be configured to contact a portion of board assembly 74such that the internal components of base 12 are maintained in desiredpositions thereof. It is noted that, in embodiments where wires areincluded in and through hinge assembly 18, such wires can be connectedwith other wires that can extend from, for example, board assembly 74prior to attaching hinge assembly 18 to base housing 24. As discussedabove, hinge base portion 62 can be attached to base housing 24 byscrews, snap-fit or press-fit structures, adhesives or the like.

As discussed above, lid housing 44 can be made in a manner similar tothat of base housing 24. In an example using deep drawing, lid housing44 can be made by deep drawing a sheet of metal in a direction away fromwhat will become open end 56. Subsequently, display opening 58 can becut in bezel wall 48, as discussed above (step 213 in FIG. 18). Displayassembly 60 can then be assembled with lid housing 44 resulting in lidassembly 14 (step 215 in FIG. 19). Lid assembly 14 can then be assembledwith hinge assembly 18 by attaching hinge lid portion 64 to open end 56of lid housing 44, which can be done in a similar manner to theattachment of hinge base portion 62 with open end 36 of base housing 24(step 217 in FIG. 18). Any wires that require connection between displayassembly 60 and hinge assembly 18 can be connected prior to theattachment of hinge lid portion 64 with open end 56. It is noted thatbase assembly 12, lid assembly 14, and hinge assembly 18 can beconducted in parallel or in any sequence desired before assemblytogether. Further, lid assembly 14 can be assembled with hinge 18 beforeassembly with base 12, if desired. Additional finishing steps can alsobe carried out after the computer has been assembled, includingcleaning, painting, packaging, battery charging, etc. (step 219 in FIG.18).

Housings of a similar configuration to those described above in thecontext of a notebook computer can be used in other electronic devicesas well. For example, a similar configuration of two assembliesincluding single-piece housings of the general form discussed above andconnected with a hinge that covers open ends of the housings can beimplemented in mobile telephones. In other examples, a single assemblyhaving a single housing of the type discussed above with a cover over anopen end thereof that helps maintain various positions of internalcomponents of the device can be used in smartphones, tablet computers,e-readers or the like. Further, such housing configurations can beimplemented in peripheral electronic devices, including keyboards andthe like.

Although the description herein has been made with reference toparticular embodiments, it is to be understood that these embodimentsare merely illustrative of the principles and applications of thepresent disclosure. It is therefore to be understood that numerousmodifications may be made to the illustrative embodiments and that otherarrangements may be devised without departing from the spirit and scopeof the present disclosure as defined by the appended claims.

The invention claimed is:
 1. An electronic device, comprising: at leastone electronic component; a first housing of a single piece of material,the first housing defining a length, a width, and a height that is lessthan both the length and the width, the first housing having at leastfive side walls defining an internal cavity and an open end to thecavity that spans the width and height of the first housing, theelectronic component being contained within the cavity; and a coverremovably affixed over the open end of the first housing so as tocontribute to a retaining force applied on the electronic componenttherein.
 2. The device of claim 1, wherein the single piece of materialis a single piece of metal.
 3. The device of claim 1, wherein the firsthousing is a base housing for a base assembly of a portable computer,and wherein the cover is a first portion of a hinge assembly, theelectronic device further including a lid assembly operatively connectedto the base housing by the hinge assembly.
 4. The device of claim 3,wherein the lid assembly includes a lid housing substantially of asingle piece of material and having at least five side walls defining aninternal cavity and an open end thereto, the lid assembly furtherincluding a display unit received within the cavity of the lid housing,and wherein the hinge assembly includes a second portion removablyaffixed over the open end of the display housing.
 5. The device of claim1, wherein the first housing is a lid housing for a lid assembly of aportable computer, and wherein the cover is a first portion of a hingeassembly, the device further including a base assembly operativelyconnected to the lid assembly by the hinge assembly.
 6. The device ofclaim 1, wherein at least one of the side walls of the first housingincludes an opening to expose a portion of the electronic component. 7.The device of claim 6, wherein the electronic component is a trackpadassembly including a touch-sensitive surface, and wherein thetouch-sensitive surface is exposed within the opening.
 8. The device ofclaim 6, wherein the electronic component is a keyboard assemblyincluding a plurality of keys, and wherein at least the keys of thekeyboard assembly are exposed within the opening.
 9. The device of claim6, wherein the electronic component includes at least one externalconnection element, and wherein the at least one external connectionelement is exposed within the opening.
 10. The device of claim 1,wherein the electronic element is positioned within a space definedbetween two spaced apart and parallel ones of the side walls, theelectronic device further including a shim member wedged between theelectronic component a first one of the two side walls and forcing atleast a portion of the electronic element against a second one of thetwo side walls.
 11. The device of claim 10, wherein the shim member is aportion of a second electronic component received within the internalcavity of the housing.
 12. The device of claim 1, wherein at least oneof the side walls includes a hole therethrough, and wherein theelectronic component includes a threaded hole therein aligned with thehole in the side wall, the electronic device further including a screwpassing through the hole in the first housing and engaging with thethreaded hole of the electronic component.
 13. The device of claim 1,wherein the electronic component is an assembly of a printed circuitboard and one or more support units configured to contact at least twoof the side walls of the housing within the internal cavity, the one ormore support units being assembled with the printed circuit board toretain the printed circuit board within the housing and spaced apartfrom the side walls.
 14. The device of claim 1, wherein the electroniccomponent is one of a plurality of electronic components within thehousing, at least some of the electronic components contacting at leastone of the side walls, respectively, and the at least some of theelectronic components contacting each other along respective portionsthereof to help retain the at least some of the electronic components inpredetermined positions within the housing.
 15. The device of claim 1,wherein the cover exerts a retention force on the electronic componentto help retain the electronic component in a predetermined positionwithin the housing.
 16. An electronic housing assembly, comprising: afirst housing unit of a single piece of metal, the first housing unitdefining a length, a width, and a height that is less than both thelength and the width, the first housing unit having at least five sidewalls defining an internal cavity and an open end to the cavity thatspans the width and height of the first housing unit; and a coverremovably affixed over the open end of the first housing unit; whereinthe first housing unit is made by a process including deep drawing asingle, substantially flat sheet of a metal material in a direction awayfrom the open end formed thereby.
 17. The assembly of claim 16, furtherincluding at least one electronic component received within the firsthousing unit, wherein the process of making the first housing unitfurther includes deep drawing the sheet of metal material into a formconfigured to receive the at least one electronic component therein. 18.The assembly of claim 17, wherein electronic component includes athreaded hole therein, and wherein the process of making the firsthousing unit further includes forming a hole through at least one of theside walls configured to align with the threaded hole in the electroniccomponent.
 19. The assembly of claim 17, wherein the process of makingthe first housing unit further includes forming an opening in at leastone of the side walls to expose at least a portion of the electroniccomponent.
 20. The assembly of claim 19, wherein the opening is formedby laser cutting.
 21. The assembly of claim 19, wherein the opening isformed by milling.
 22. The assembly of claim 16, wherein the deepdrawing process is carried out using a mold that imparts an outside formof the first housing unit on the sheet of metal material, includingrespective outside surfaces of the side walls of the first housing unit,and a tool that imparts an inside form of the first housing unit on thesheet of metal material, including respective inside surfaces of theside walls that define the internal cavity.
 23. The assembly of claim22, wherein the outside form of the first housing unit imparted by themold is an initial outside form, including initial outside surfaces ofthe side walls, the process further including removing material from thefirst housing unit, including the initial outside surfaces of the sidewalls.
 24. The assembly of claim 23, wherein removing material from thefirst housing unit is carried out by one of milling, grinding orpolishing.
 25. The assembly of claim 23, wherein removing material fromthe first housing unit reduces a radius formed on a corner betweenadjacent side walls.